Autism Teen Student Support Profile
As Autistic students move into adolescence, their needs within school environments often become more complex. Increased academic demands, social expectations, sensory load, and transitions between classes can significantly impact wellbeing. A one size fits all approach to support is rarely effective. What is needed instead is a clear, respectful, and individualised understanding of the student.
The Autism Teen Student Support Profile is designed to provide that understanding. The profile centres the student’s identity, communication preferences, regulation needs, strengths, and boundaries. It offers a shared, neuroaffirmative snapshot of who the student is and how they experience school, supporting adults to respond with greater insight and consistency.
The profile brings together key areas including identity and connection, emotional safety, communication methods such as AAC, sensory and physical needs, regulation and energy, and autonomy around transitions and boundaries. This holistic approach recognises that distress, withdrawal, or shutdown are forms of communication, not problems to be fixed. It also reframes stimming, energy protection, and boundary setting as essential self regulation and self advocacy.
Crucially, the Autism Teen Student Support Profile is intended to be collaborative. Wherever possible, the student’s own voice, preferences, and descriptions are prioritised, whether shared through speech, writing, AAC, or supported reflection. For parents and caregivers, it offers a structured way to share what helps their teen feel safe and understood. For teachers and SNAs, it provides practical guidance to reduce misinterpretation and support relational safety in everyday school interactions.
When used proactively, this type of support profile can reduce crisis driven responses, improve consistency across staff, and foster environments where Autistic teens are supported to be themselves. It shifts the focus from managing behaviour to understanding experience, which is foundational to inclusive, trauma informed, and neuroaffirmative education
